highline college international students summer 2015 next steps brochure
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HIGHLINE WELCOME TO
International Student Programs
The International Student Programs (ISP) office is here to help you with any academic,
immigration or personal issues you may face while a student at Highline. Our office is your first
stop for getting your questions answered and your problems resolved!
International Student Programs
Library, 5th Floor (25-506)
Phone: 1+(206) 870-3725
http://international.highline.edu/
Summer 2015
Pre-Arrival Checklist
Before you arrive on the Highline
campus:
□ Pay SEVIS I-901 fee
□ Apply for student visa
□ Arrange flight to SeaTac
International Airport
□ Book housing and make pickup
arrangements with the homestay
agency or dormitories
□ Email flight information to
soon as you book your flight
□ Arrive! (Call/email home to say you
arrived safely!)
ISP Welcome Team
The International Student Programs Welcome Team is a group of student volunteers that
want to make your first weeks in the US happy and smooth! We want to be your friend!
We will contact you by email before you arrive, greet you at
the airport, and plan Welcome Week events to prepare you
for life at Highline and the U.S.
If you have any questions or you need help preparing for
your U.S. adventure, please email
[email protected] and we’ll be happy to assist
you!
Questions? If you have further questions about
admissions, immigration or academic
advising please email your questions
to [email protected]. We will connect
you with an ISP advisor. You are not
alone!
Arrival Checklist
After you arrive on campus:
□ Check in at ISP Office on June 15,
2015 at 10:00am
□ Take placement test(s)
□ Meet with ISP advisor to register for
classes
□ Attend Smart Start Workshops
□ Pay tuition and fees at Cashier’s
Office in Building 6
□ Buy books at Bookstore in Highline
Student Union
□ Attend all classes on June 22, 2015!
(Your teacher could give your seat
to someone else if you do not
attend the first day!)
International Student Programs
Library, 5th Floor (25-506)
Phone: 1+ (206) 870-3725
http://international.highline.edu/
YOUR NEXT STEPS
Once you have your visa in hand, it’s time to make your flight arrangements!
The nearest airport to Highline College is the Seattle-Tacoma International
Airport (SEA), also known as Sea-Tac. You should plan to arrive 8-14 days
before classes start in order to register and participate in Welcome Week
activities. You are allowed to enter the U.S. up to 30 days prior to the quarter
start date.
Please make sure you are going to Seattle, Washington, NOT Washington, D.C.!
The Form I-20 that you received from Highline can only be used to enter the
US to study at Highline. If your study plans change, you must get an I-20 from
the school you wish to attend, and then enter the U.S. using that school’s I-20.
If you have any urgent issues upon arrival, please
call the ISP emergency phone at 1-253-642-7525.
Interview, SEVIS, Visa
The US State Department requires an interview for all F-1 (Student) visa applicants. This interview is held at
the US Embassy or Consulate office in your country (http://www.usembassy.gov/) by appointment, and there
is a fee for the visa application. Each country may have different requirements for documentation to present
at the interview, so please research this information for your country carefully. In general, these documents
will include
Your passport
Your Form I-20
The SEVIS I-901 fee receipt (see below)
Financial information (bank statement)
Proof of ties to your country.
Please visit http://international.highline.edu/admissions/visaHelp.htm for more information about the visa
process.
SEVIS Fee
Individuals who apply for an F-1 (Student) visa must also pay the US$ 200 SEVIS I-901 fee. The fee can be paid
by credit card at the web site www.fmjfee.com before the visa interview. Do not use Highline’s address when
paying the fee. Please print the payment receipt; you must have the receipt with you when you go to the
interview.
Flight Arrangements
Visa Issuance Congratulations!
You can start making your flight and housing arrangements! Please contact a homestay agency or fill out a dormitory application to make reservations. You should also email [email protected] to confirm your arrival plans.
Visa Denial If you are denied a student visa, politely ask the consular official why the application was denied. Also ask when you may reapply for a visa. Then, contact your education agent or Highline College ([email protected]) for assistance in reapplying.
International Student Programs
Library, 5th Floor (25-506)
Phone: 1+ (206) 870-3725
http://international.highline.edu/
Housing Arrangements
YOUR NEXT STEPS
International students have many options for housing around Highline College. Whether you prefer living with
an American family, staying in a dormitory-style room, or living on your own in an apartment, there is a perfect
match for your lifestyle! We recommend that new students start out in a homestay or short-term housing so
they can get to know the area. Many students choose to live in apartments or shared houses after they arrive.
Homestay Living with an American family can be a great way to start your life in the USA!
Students living in a homestay learn about American culture in their daily life and
improve their English skills. Airport pick-up and meals may be included.
There are two homestay agencies in the Highline area. Please choose one and apply
directly to the agency of your choice.
American Homestay Network: http://www.homestaynetwork.com/
Intercultural Homestay: http://www.ihincusa.com/
Short-Term Housing Two local hotels offer short-term living options for Highline international
students: Garden Suites and Crossland Studios. For detailed information,
visit http://international.highline.edu/admissions/dormitory.htm . Choose
one and apply directly to the housing option of your choice.
Please visit http://international.highline.edu/admissions/housingOptions.htm for more information about housing around Highline. If you have any housing questions, e-mail us at [email protected].
Airport Greeting
The ISP Welcome Team wants to greet you at the airport! Give us your flight info and look for a sign with your
name on it at BAGGAGE CLAIM 1. We will be there to welcome you and make sure you find your ride home
(depending on which housing situation you’ve chosen). We also have a special first day survival kit!
Send us your flight info! Please send an email to [email protected] and include
the following information in your message:
Name
Airline
Flight Number
Arrival Date
Arrival Time
Housing Arrangement (host family, dormitory, relatives, etc.)
Host family contact information (if available)
Make sure you arrange your airport pickup service with
your homestay agency or short-term housing provider!
International Student Programs
Library, 5th Floor (25-506)
Phone: 1+ (206) 870-3725
http://international.highline.edu/
YOUR NEXT STEPS
Report to ISP
Please arrive at the International Student Programs (ISP) office at 10:00am on June 15, 2015 and bring the
following documents:
Passport
I-20
US Address
ISP Office Location:
International Student Programs (ISP) Office
Highline College
Building 25, 5th Floor, Room 506
2400 S, 240th Street,
Des Moines, WA 98198
Telephone: 206-592-3725
Email: [email protected]
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00am -5:00pm (closed on Fridays during the summer)
*Take the Placement Test
*Only for students who are planning on taking Math courses or courses requiring a Reading/Writing Score.
Highline offers three different computer-based placement tests to measure your skills in English and math.
ESL/COMPASS (includes Listening, Grammar/Usage, and Reading sections)
COMPASS Reading
MyMathTest (includes arithmetic, algebra, and trigonometry)
Advisors use your placement test scores to help you register for classes. All international students must take
either ESL/COMPASS or COMPASS Reading before their first quarter. MyMathTest can be taken at any time,
but we recommend that math and science majors take it before their first quarter. For study materials, sample
practice tests, and testing center hours, please visit http://placement.highline.edu.
You must show your passport and application fee receipt to take the test. If you do not have a copy of the
application fee receipt, you can get one from the International Student Programs Office.
Exceptions from Taking Highline Placement Tests
You may not be required to take placement tests at Highline if you meet any of the following criteria:
If you have completed a U.S.-based college level writing or composition class, such as WRIT 101 or
ENG 101, with a 2.0 grade point average (gpa), you are not required to take the COMPASS.
If you have completed a college level math class in the U.S. or abroad, such as any class above 100
level, with a 2.0 equivalent gpa, you are not required to take MyMathTest. Please bring the course
description of the course you have taken and your transcripts to determine your level.
If you have taken the COMPASS test at another school and your score is less than 6 months old, you
may submit that score for placement. Please note that Highline’s placements may be different than at
other schools.
Register for Classes
After you take your placement tests, you will meet with an ISP advisor to register for classes.
International Student Programs
Library, 5th Floor (25-506)
Phone: 1+ (206) 870-3725
http://international.highline.edu/
YOUR NEXT STEPS
Attend Smart Start Workshops
All new international students are required to attend all
orientation sessions during Welcome Week! We will cover
medical insurance, international student procedures, U.S.
government regulations, campus life, housing and other
important information. We’ll also give you lots of
opportunities to explore the local area and make new friends.
Check-in: June 15, 2015
A detailed schedule for the week will be provided
at check-in.
Please note: Students who do not attend all workshops will
have to make them up next quarter!
Tuition is charged by the quarter. You can only pay for one quarter’s tuition at a time. Payment must be
made after you register for classes, but before classes begin on June 22, 2015. Payment can be made at the
Cashier’s office in Building 6 in the following ways:
Credit card
Debit card
Cash
Traveler’s check
Preprinted personal check. The cashier’s office cannot accept temporary checks from a new checking
account that are not preprinted with name and address.
Pay Your Tuition
All international students must purchase medical insurance
through the College. The rates per quarter are:
Student: $366.00
Spouse: $732.00
Dependent child: $366.00
Get Medical Insurance
The insurance fee is charged automatically when international students register for classes. Students are
covered from the first day of the quarter until the day before the next quarter. To get an insurance ID card
and handbook, students must go to the ISP Office and show their tuition payment receipt. For detailed
information on what is covered under this insurance plan, please see: www.fiig-insurance.com.
To qualify for a waiver, students must have UNLIMITED coverage from one of the following
Japanese insurance companies: Tokio Marine Insurance or AIU Insurance. Any student with one
of these plans must submit proof of insurance to the ISP Office during the first week of the
quarter.
The ISP Welcome Team plans fun social activities for new international students. These events give you the
opportunity to meet people and get comfortable before school starts, so take advantage!
International Student Programs
Library, 5th Floor (25-506)
Phone: 1+ (206) 870-3725
http://international.highline.edu/
YOUR NEXT STEPS
Attend Social Events
See you soon!
Connect with Highline
ISP Welcome Team Mentor
After you receive your I-20, you will get an email from
your Welcome Team Mentor to help you as you prepare
for your trip to Seattle. Take advantage of this
opportunity to make a new friend! The more people
you know, the more comfortable you will be here!
You are also welcome to email the Welcome Team
yourself at [email protected].
Don’t be shy – say HI!
Moving to a new country can be exciting…and stressful!
Be aware that it might take some time to adjust. Be sure
to get plenty of sleep and eat healthy food. Ask lots of
questions, and get to know our staff and other students.
Everyone experiences some stress, so feel free to talk
about it!
Does it seem like a lot to do? Don’t worry! Take it one
step at a time, and if you have any questions, just ask!
ISP: [email protected]
Welcome Team: [email protected]
We look forward to meeting you!
Highline College International Student Programs